Five Marin schools win California Distinguished Schools award

At Dixie Elementary School, educators believe that a student's optimal learning doesn't always happen just by showing up to class. The students have to be ready to learn.

So the school employs an array of tactics through its social-emotional learning program — bullying intervention, keys to communication, teaching them to be more empathetic and cooperative — to better prepare students to absorb all the information thrown at them in the classroom.

"Our theory is that if you have students who feel connected and safe and loved, they will learn at high levels," Principal Greg Johnson said.

The social-emotional learning program helped Dixie be named one of five Marin County elementary schools selected as California Distinguished Schools, announced Wednesday by the County Office of Education.

Two Reed Union schools, Reed Elementary and Bel Aire Elementary, also received the distinction, along with Ross Elementary School and Wade Thomas Elementary School from the Ross Valley district.

"This continues to highlight that we have great schools here serving our kids," said Raquel Rose, assistant superintendent in the County Office of Education.

Only elementary schools were eligible for the award this year. The awards alternate each year between elementary schools and middle and high schools, so middle and high schools will be eligible next year for the award.

To apply for the award, schools had to meet a variety of standards in areas such as academic performance and the amount that has passed since the school last won the award. Then, if eligible, the schools must identify two "signature practices" that administrators believe make their schools distinguished.

Dixie's other signature practice was its academic intervention program, which is intended to keep students from needing special education.

Teachers and administrators identify students "we feel need to move into intervention, get the help they need, and then move them back into the classroom when they've gotten the help they needed."

Reed Elementary also won the award, in part, based on its social-emotional program. Superintendent Steven Herzog said the school, which serves kindergarten through second grade, makes an effort to teach character traits, such as honesty, and the playground has a conflict resolution zone in the playground, where students go to work out their issues with each other.

Reed was also awarded based on its citizenship program, through which students are encouraged to be stewards of their community.

Bel Aire, which serves third, fourth and fifth grades, won for its use of technology and its "integration of technology and community partnership."

"We decided at third grade, if every kid had an iPad, we'd get a lot of creative work done," Herzog said.

While academic performance has traditionally been high at the school, administrators measure the success of iPad use on the level engagement and feedback from students and parents. Herzog said a poll showed that 96 percent of Bel Aire parents "agree or strongly agree" that iPads have helped improve their children's academic experience at the school.

"One thing we've been really striving for is that the tools are just that: tools," Herzog said. "It used to a pencil and a notepad. Now it's an iPad."